NHL Lockout: NHLPA Must Make New Proposal to Move CBA Talks Forward

For the NHL lockout to end in the next few weeks, the NHLPA must make a new proposal to the league that addresses the core economic issues which are largely responsible for the lack of progress made over the last few months.

At the NHLPA's request, the two sides met on Monday night for more CBA talks, but the players did not make a new proposal to the league. However, a new proposal from the players could be made soon, according to Renaud Lavoie of RDS.

Players will decide on Tuesday if they'll make, or not, a formal proposal to the NHL. I expect they will and the next meeting should be Wed.

The best way to trigger some real negotiating is to bring a real proposal to the table, and for the two sides to reach an agreement on the key issues, somebody needs to make a concession(s) and a new offer.

The NHL has already said that its final offer has been made, so now it's up to the players to move this process forward.

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However, it's important that the players don't move too far toward the NHL's position on certain issues because that can be seen as a weakness, and also make the union look desperate.

If the NHL senses that the NHLPA really wants to play in the near future, the owners will try to get even more from the players in labor talks.

The NHLPA must be careful with its next proposal, which means they need to come a bit closer to the NHL on the core economic issues, but also leave some room between the two sides so there can be some negotiations and compromise.

Even though the players will likely make the next proposal, both sides need to make a stronger effort to get a new CBA finalized because the longer this lockout goes, the amount of revenue lost will continue to increase.

The next step in this lockout is a proposal from the NHLPA, and if they bring it to the NHL this week, some more progress toward saving the 2012-13 season could be made.